Using Exercise to Support Mental Wellbeing

Feb 25, 2020

The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust has recently launched their #RunForWellbeing campaign to support young people with mental health difficulties
Andy Caress, a mental health trainer with CWMT, shares his experience of mental health and how running helps him

When you're struggling with your mental health, getting out and exercising can feel very challenging. For those of us who struggle with illnesses like low mood, depression and anxiety, even the most everyday tasks can seem overwhelming, and tackling activities like exercise can seem out of reach. During these periods, it's important to remember that they won't last forever, and to try, as much as possible, to prioritise whatever physical activity is manageable, as it isn't just about your physical health - it's about your mental wellbeing too.

Throughout my life I have experienced ongoing difficulties with my mental health. I have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and have experienced depression, which, at times, has been incapacitating. During these times, I have found it really hard to motivate myself and, without proper support, my focus on physical activity deteriorated as my mental health did. Something I've found helpful in recent years, however, is running and, importantly, the social support that the sport provides. With the help of the running community, not only have I been able to find a way to manage my mental health, but I have gone on to run marathons and even organise a few events for charity too!

My experience also helps to inform my work as a mental health trainer for Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, where I work with young people, their parents, teachers and guardians to equip them with the skills to look after their mental wellbeing. For over five years I have worked in schools colleges, universities and workplaces across the UK to deliver free mental health education for as many people as possible. Every day is different, and I've delivered workshops to a wide variety of audiences and in a range of settings - I've done a lot of work around general mental health awareness, but also on suicide prevention, and deliver regular body image and self-esteem workshops too.

During these workshops and talks, we focus on five key steps to mental wellbeing:

Be active
Keep learning
Connect with other people
Give to others
Be in the moment

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Charlie Trust

Set up in memory of a young man who took his own life, the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust aims to help people recognise the signs of depression in themselves and others, to equip young people to look after their mental wellbeing, and to ensure expert help is available when needed. The Trust reaches thousands of children and young people, their teachers and parents through its free mental health education and training in schools. It also gives training in universities, colleges and workplaces, and to GPs and nurses, aiming to lessen the stigma around depression, improve treatment and reduce the number of suicides. Earlier this year, Charlie Waller Memorial Trust launched its #RunForWellbeing initiative which aims to raise awareness and create a conversation around exercise and wellbeing by asking people to share personal stories on social media of how exercise has helped them with their mental health, using the #RunForWellbeing hashtag.